Tag Archives: salary

Maybe it’s unfair to put the Lakers here, after all they’ve been without three of their best players, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Julius Randle, for long stretches due to injuries. However, the Lakers still remain a “loser”.

Admittedly, the team has a strange roster in terms of salary concerns. Kobe takes up a monster cap hit while Nash and Jeremy Lin are on sizeable, expiring contracts. Additionally, the team is flush with veterans on relatively cheap, expiring contracts (Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Price, Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson) and younger players on manageable deals (Ryan Kelly, Robert Sacre, Ed Davis, Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black). Throw in Nick Young and Jordan Hill on reasonable contracts and you have the Lakers’ roster.

If one thing is for certain with Los Angeles, it’s that they want to be a contender as soon as possible. So keeping players like Nash and Lin around instead of dealing them for future salary commitments makes sense in terms of chasing a big fish or two in free agency.

The big problem with the Lakers is that they don’t really have much in the way of assets. Whether it be young players or picks, the Lakers have a pretty bare cupboard—at least compared to other struggling franchises like the Magic, Timberwolves and 76ers. That’s why it’s puzzling the team didn’t move players they felt weren’t part of their long-term future for assets, even if those assets were second-round draft picks.

Ryan Kelly could have been dealt to a team seeking a stretch four (Phoenix perhaps?) while Ed Davis could have received a fair return given his production and upside on such a manageable contract. Teams looking for an energy big could have acquired Robert Sacre. Wayne Ellington is averaging nearly 10 points per contest on a contract that calls for less than $1 million.

Jordan Hill is another player who could have been dealt. The former lottery pick is averaging 12.4 points and 8 rebounds and provides value as a floor-spacing big who can also rebound. Moving him would have freed up more money to chase free agents over the summer, but the team may feel he can contribute on a contending team.

The fact that the Lakers had so many players on inexpensive contracts meant they could have dealt them to just about anyone. It’s hard to imagine the team keeping a lot of this roster together for next season given the dreadful record the team has posted, so it’s a little confusing as to why the team didn’t do anything. The fact that they didn’t do anything is a bit puzzling. Because of that, the Lakers are a “loser”.

The Lakers will hope that they can turn their upcoming cap flexibility and bottom-feeding roster into a contender come next season. If not, you can probably expect more reactions like this out of Kobe Bryant.

The deadline is upon us as I write this. It probably isn’t the magnitude that the baseball trade deadline is, but it’s close, at least on a higher level than the NFL.

Deals will happen. They always happen at the deadline and will continue to do so in the NBA’s existence.

Let’s start with the Lakers, who have glaring needs at forward and the point. Here’s what they have done so far-

The Lakers Acquired Ramon Sessions to stabilize the point guard spot while also picking up young forward Christian Eyenga. The cost to acquire those two was and is wings Jason Kapono, Luke Walton and a top 14 protected 2012 first-round pick.

Sessions was expendable from the sense that the Cavs already have Kyrie Irving on payroll and the fact that Irving is the future.

The Lakers give up what is probably a pick somewhere in the 20s if they make a playoff run.

That might be the only huge loss here for LA. They get out of the rest of Walton’s contract as well as Kapono’s. They also get a youth infusion in the front court with Eyenga.

This leaves the Lakers with Sessions, Steve Blake and Derek Fisher on payroll. Which leads us to this…

The Houston Rockets Acquire PG Derek Fisher from the LA Lakers for Jordan Hill and the Mavericks first-round pick.

The Lakers have now moved both of the first-round picks that they owned in this year’s draft. But on the flipside, the Lakers have unloaded both Fisher and Walton, who are under contract next year, replacing them with players who might not be under contract next season.

Hill gives the Lakers more youth in the frontcourt as well as depth, which is another thing that they probably could have used to help their championship aspirations.

The Rockets pick up another first-round pick to add to their hull while also picking up a stop gap point guard to fill in for Kyle Lowry while he recovers from injury. The Rockets could also buy out Fisher following the return of Lowry, or keep him for a stretch run.

Hill was movable in a sense because of another trade…

The Houston Rockets acquired Marcus Camby from the Portland Trailblazers for former lottery picks Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet and a second-round pick that originated with the T-Wolves.

The Rockets picked up a presence in the frontcourt after going down swinging in the original Chris Paul trade. Thabeet and Flynn were almost dead weight in Houston and should benefit from a change of scenery. The Blazers might be in a bit of a rebuilding or retooling stretch, whichever lights your fire after moving this key cog to an Eastern Conference team…

The New Jersey Nets Acquire F Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trailblazers for frontcourt depth in Shawne Williams, Mehmet Okur and a top three projected 2012 first-round pick.

The Nets are attempting to keep Deron Williams for next season just as Dwight Howard has now chosen to stay in Orlando for next season. A starting five and core of Wallace, Williams, Kris Humphries, Brook Lopez and MarShon Brooks isn’t too bad.

This is curious for Portland, who after dealing Camby and Crash, they have also reportedly fired Mr. Sonic himself, Nate McMillian. This is truly sad news, as the Blazers are supposedly starting to rebuild or retool. Again, whichever lights your fire. Williams has a player option for next year, which will likely be exercised as well as Okur’s expiring deal, which totals almost 11 million dollars. This should set up Portland to go after a big free agent while also getting a potentially high pick in a very good draft.

Moving on with no transition, we see a very surprising trade from George’ Karl’s Denver Nuggets-

We move on to more former Sonic news as George Karl’s Nuggets have moved their big free agent resigning- Nene Hilario- to the Washington Wizards for JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf. This trade also involves the Los Angeles Clippers as Nick Young will head to LA to help the Clippers’ two guard needs. The Wizards will get forward Brian Cook and a future second-round pick in return.

This moved shocked me to be honest with you. The Nuggets dealt their starting center in Nene for another one in McGee as well as another good bench player in Ronny Turiaf. The Nuggets will certainly be fine because of their exceptional depth, but the Wizards clearly won from a talent perspective now. Nene might just be a better fit with John Wall than McGee was, and he gives a young Washington squad a veteran presence.

The Nuggets might have benefited long term more so than the Wizards because they got to unload Nene’s contract. This frees up money not only for the future, but also money for restricted free agent Wilson Chandler. Chandler, who is fresh off a stint in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association), would give the Nuggets a boost on the wing.

The Clippers are the under the radar team here as they pick up a shooting guard to replace the long-injured Chauncey Billups. This really helps the Clips in terms of a missing piece and needed scoring punch.

New we really don’t have any transition as the Indiana Pacers get some backcourt depth with Leandro Barbosa.

The Pacers picked up Barbosa for a second-round pick and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors.

The Pacers didn’t need to put any outgoing players in the deal because of their vast salary cap room. Not exactly vast mind you, but under these circumstances, that’s a lot. Good deal for Indy.

Golden State acquires Richard Jefferson and a first-round pick from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors did a brilliant job of turning Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown into Andrew Bogut, Jefferson and a first-round pick. That’s a nice little roster turnaround for Golden State. Jefferson might be bought out, nobody knows. Nice swap for the Spurs as well as Jackson gives the Spurs a little bit more of a scoring touch compared to Jefferson.

In the last move, or first chronologically — whichever way you want to look at it, the Philadelphia 76ers picked up athletic wing Sam Young from Memphis for the rights to former second-round pick Ricky Sanchez.

So there are your trades everybody. Some other notes of prominence-

The Raptors have released point guard Anthony Carter, who was originally believed to be part of the Barbosa trade.

The Magic didn’t trade Dwight Howard, as he will presumably come back next season.